Packer



Dec. 5, 1939. J. o. BRUMBLY PACKER Filed Oct. 12, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet lDec. 5, 1939. J. o. BRUMBLY PACKER Filed oct. 12, 1938 42 sheets-snoei 2Patented Dec.' 5, 1939 UNITED l STATES 2.1mm f Mcm Joseph o. mummy, mAngeles. cnn., am I l u n. E. mm

Appucaun october 12, 193s, semi No. 234,612

' somma.

packers, and particularly to that class of well packers known asbypass-packers wherein there is a passage through the packer permittingthe 5 ow of uid therethrough 'as the packer is lowered into the well,the passage being closed when the packer is seated. I An object oftheinvention is to provide a very simple form of packer construction havinga 0 minimum number of parts which lare of such design as to produce a,very sturdy durable structure. In packers of this general characterthere is usually a slip'cone carrying slips with a packing means abovethe slip cone 'and casing-en- 5 gaging springs which hold the slipsagainst vertical movement while the slip cone is being low-` eredrelatively thereto to seat the slips. When the slips have been set themandrel of the packer carrying a valve 'islowered onto a -valve seat owhich closes the bypass through the packer and at the same timecompresses and thus expands the' packing.

Heretofore, a bayonet joint has been used as a means for holding thecasing-engaging springs constant danger of inadvertently breaking or :oshearing oi the pin. It is also disadvantageous in that, on recoveringthe packer from the well, l it is neceary to return` the pin of thebayo-J net joint to its initial position otherwise thecasing-engaging-springs are capable of setting the i5 slips at any timethaththe recovering string of pipe is lowered, such as when therecovering string of pipe is being lowered onto the slips on the rotarytable; It is an object of the Vpresent invention to prom vide a superiorconstructionfor holding the casing-engaging springs in 4lowermostposition with respect `toithe mandrel while the device is being loweredinto the well and which will release -the casingfengaging springs fromthe mandrel upon L5 rotation of the lowering` string of pipe.Thereafter, on recovering thepacker from the well on merely pulling upthe mandrel by the recoveringstring of pipe, -thecasingL-engagingspringsv will be automatically reconnected to the mandrel and.

io' held in lowermost position without-involving rotation as in the caseof -a bayonet joint.'

A'n important feature of the present invention is on the construction ofthe type of-releasable` connection .that'is located between the mandreli5' and the casing-engaging springs, whihis ativan` (Cl. 16B-1.2) 'Thisinvention relates to improvements in well tageous over the previouslyused bayonet joint or J slot type ofconnection in that it does notafford as easy van opportunity lfor sand to settle between the parts andinterfere with their operation as in the case ofthe bayonet joint. .6,

, tailed description andjspecically pointed out in the appended claims,reference is had to the ac.- companying drawings for an illustrativeembodi` l0, ment of the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view inside elevation of the improved well packerillustrating it in that position during which it is lowered into orrecovered from a well; a $5.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the packer in the sameposition shown in Fig. 1;

Fig.l 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the packer in that positionwherein the slips have been -set and the packing meansfis about to be 20compressed and thusexpanded;

Fig. 4 is a partial view in vertical section illustrating the packingmeans as having been expanded;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken substan- 25 tiallyupon the line 5 5of Fig. 2; and

Fig.' 6 is a horizontal section taken substantially upon the line 6-6 ofFig. 2.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference'characters designate 30 l similar` parts throughout, the improvedpacker' comprises a tubular or hollow mandrel Ill hav-f ing an externalshoulder II formed thereon and at its bottom an enlargement I2. -At theupper Q v `end of the mandrel there is provided a head vI3 35 whichconstitutesa valve presenting a tapered valvesurfacel. This head ispreferably thread-- .ed onto the mandrel and locked in place as by setscrew I5. It may beexternally kerfed as at- I6 to facilitate engagementby an overshot should 40 occasion require. The head is preferablyinterthere is disposed a sleeve I 9 which is spaced from t5l the mandrelproviding a passage 20 thereabout.

'I'his sleeve has its upper end externally flanged R as at 2| to retaina collar 22 that forms a valve seat 2.3 on which the head I 3 isdesignedto seat.

Below the collar 22 there is disposed packing 2|'. l5() t This packingis preferably in the form of a rubber sleeve reinforced with fabricindicated at 24a. The fabric is-embedded in the rubber and hasadditional thicknesses adjacent the top and bottom aS Shown at 2lb. Thisadditional reinforcement I6 indicated at 26. The, packing is supportedaround the sleeve on a suitable bushing 26 threaded onto the lower endof the sleeve I9. The bushing 26 is,'in turn, threaded into the upperend with respect to the valve seat 23.

of a slip cone 21. The slip cone has external downwardly converging slipways 26 for slips 29. The slips and slip ways are preferably dovetailedin cross section as shown on Fig. 6. The inner faces of the slips arepreferably grooved as at`A sagement between the heads of the set screws3I and the upper ends of the grooves 30 limits upward movement oftheslip cone with respect to the slips when the slips are held in theirlowermost positions, thus preventing engagement between the head I3 andseating surface 23 during lowering into the well.

As clearly shown in Fig. 5, the slip cone has inwardly extendinginternal vertical ribs 32 which fit relatively closely' around themandrel I0 above shoulder II. Between these ribs' are passages 33 which,in conjunction with the passage 36 within sleeve I9 and the passagewithin the collar 22, permit uid to flow upwardly through the slip coneand through the packing means and the valve seat thereon while the toolis being lowered into the well. Downward movement of the slip conerelative to mandrel III is limited by the bottoms of these ribs 32engaging shoulder II. Slip reinls 34 are lpivotally connected tothebottoms of the slips and to a rein collar 35 which is mounted on theupper endof a sleeve A36 fitting about the lower end of the mandrel.This rein collar may be locked in place when threaded onto the sleeve 36by means of set rality of downwardly' extending-segments 42 by means ofupwardly extending splits 43. The enlargement I2 is externally threadedwith an upwardly tapering thread and provides a shoulder 44 engageableby the lower ends of the extensions ,42. This shoulder is preferablydownward- .ly and inwardly inclined andthe lower ends of 4the extensionsl42 are: shaped complementary thereto to resist' any tendency of theextensions tobegspread when forced against the shoulder.

AThe extensions 42 are `.sti but -at the same time yieldable and areinternally threaded' as at 46 with threads complementary to the taperedthreads on enlargement I2. 'Y

The operation and advantages of the improved well packerare as follows:When it is desired to set the packer within a casing C the packer isconnected to a lowering string of pipe such as a drill pipe (not shown).It is lowered into the well in that position shown in Figs. l and 2wherein the split nut formed by the extensions or fingers 42 is inengagement with the threads on enlargement I2. When these parts are inengagement the casing-engaging springs 39 and the sleeve 36 are lockedin their IQWQIIDQS 19051.-

-slips 29 which are held b packing rings.

tions with respect to the mandrel Il. Oomequently, the slips 23 areheld-in theirlowermost or contracted positions 'with respect to the slipcone 21. During the lowering of the packer into the well in thisposition, uid encountered in the well may readily flow up through thepassages 33 in the slip cone through the passage 2l between the mandreland sleeveV I9and through the collar 22. In this position it will benoted that the head I3 is held in open or unseating position when thepacker has reached the desired level in the well the drill pipe or otherlowering string of pipe is rotated, rotating the mandrel and thus4unscrewing the enlargement I2 from within the split nut formed bytheextensions or fingers 42. It will be appreciated that this nut will beheld against rotation by the springs 39 engaging the' casing C. Thesesprings serve a double flinc- -tion, namely to hold the split nutstationary during the unscrewing of enlargement I2 and also as a meansfor holdingsleeve 36 -against relative movement with respect to thecasing while the mandrel lowers the slip cone21. When the split nut isreleased from enlargement I2, the lowering string of pipe and themandrel are lowered, thus lowering the slip cone 21 with respect to thethe casing-engaging springs 39. The slip 'con is lowered into the slipsanli expanded thereby into engagement with the casing. The tool thenoccupies a p sition substantially as that illustrated in Fig. 3.

'When the slips have been set the lowering string of pipe and mandrelare lowered still farther so as to impose some of the weight on collar22. At the same time the seating surface I4 will rmly engage the valveseat 23, thus closing the bypass through the packer. The weight imposedon the collar forces the collar to telescope downwardly on sleeve I9 andto compress and thus expand the packing rings into engagement withtheinterior surface of the casing C, thus, in eect, isolating the upperportion of the well from the lower portion of the well except throughthe interior of mandrel III. It will be noted that the sleeve I9 isrigid or stationary with respect to the slip cone and that the collar 22telescopes on the sleeve to compress the packing. 'I'he upper, innercorner ofthe sleeve is beveled off,

consequently when valve I3 is seated on thecollar no cuttings or debrisin the bypass passage through the packer will interfere with theexpansion of the packing rings. In most vprior forms of packers sleeveI9 is attached to collar 22 and is forced downwardly through the packingrings when the valve is seated. There is usually a shoulder spaced fromthe bottom of the sleeve formed on the interior ofthe-slip cone. Thisshoulder is apt to `collect debris or cuttings, and when-such cuttingscollect onthe shoulder they interfere with the sleeve being forceddownwardly and thus prevent proper expansion of the By the presentarrangement danger of cuttings interfering with theexpansion of thepacking rings is effectivelyv overcome.

When'it is desired to recover thepacker from the well it is merelynecessary to lift the lowering string Voi' pipe. This lifts the mandreland 'uns the head nos or collar n. on pulling the enlargement I2upwardly into engagement with the split nut the fingers or extensions 42merely spring outwardly permitting the threaded exation ofre-establishing the connection between the casing-engaging springs 39and the mandrel that it is not necessary to rotate the mandrel. Instead,the enlargement merely snapsvinto the split nut and is then held in thisposition. Upward movement of the mandrel of course lifts the slip cone21 causing the slips 29 to be drawn into contracted position. The packermay thus be pulled from the well and any iiuid above the packer maydrain through its bypass. It will be noted that upward pull on themandrel causes Atance of about one thread all of the threads are in firmengagement.

It should be noted that whenever the enlargement I2 and the split nutare in engagement that it is necessary to unscrew the enlargement l2from the split nut in order to accomplish a release. However, theseparts may be reconnected merely by lifting` the mandrel with respect tothe 'split nut and that no rotation is required.

The shoulder M on the enlargement I2 forms a very sturdy base .forsupporting sleeve 36 and thev casing-engaging springs .39 on themandrel. The construction is such that there is no danger of any partsbecoming broken during operation in the well, such as for example theshearing on of thepin of a bayonet joint.

In the present construction the reins 3, the slips 29,- and the setscrews 3l serve to hold the slip cone 2l in its lowermostpositio'n whenthe enlargement i2 and the split nut are in engagement. With this formof construction it is not necessary to employ any independent means forholding .the slip cone, the packing means, and the collar 22 down andout of engagement with the seating surface M while the device is beinglowered into the well.

From the above-described construction it will be appreciated that anovel, simple, and durable packer is provided which is of extremelysim'ple operation and which will assure proper recovery of the packerfrom the well, permitting fluid to readily ow therethrough both duringthe lowering and recovering operations but effectively packing off thewell when seated.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention as dened by theappended claims. i

1. A well packer comprising a mandrel, a. slipcone mounted on themandrel, packing means supported on the slip cone, means providing avalve seat on the packing means by which the packing means may becompressed and thus laterally expanded, there being provision for flowup means for holding the slips against vertical movement with respect tothe slip cone when the slip cone is lowered by the mandrel, and meansfor holding the slip holding means against vertical movement withrespect to the mandrel while the device is being lowered into a Well,comprising means providing an upwardly tapered thread on the mandrel,and means providing a resilient split nut on the slip holding meansengageable therewith.

2. A well packer comprising a mandrel. a slip cone mounted on themandrel, packing means supported on the slip cone, means providing avalve seat on the packing means by which the` packing means may becompressed and thus laterally expanded, there being provision for iow upthrough the slip cone, packing means, and valve seat, a valve on themandrel adapted to seat 'on the valve seat, slips on the slip cone, slipholding means for holding the slips .against vertical movementwithrespect to the slip cone when the slip cone is lowered 'by themandrel, and means for holding the slip holding means against verticalmovement with respect to the mandrel while the device is being loweredinto a well comprising'meansv providing an upwardly tapered thread onthe mandrel, means providing yieldable fingers on the slip holdingmeans, the inner faces of which are threaded for threaded engagementwith the tapered thread on the mandrel, and a shoulder at the base ofthe tapered thread engageable by the lower ends of the ingers.

3. A well packer comprising a mandrel, a slip cone mounted on-themandrel, packing means supported on the slip cone, meansproviding avalve seat on the packing means by which the packing means may becompressed and thus laterallyexpanded, there being provision for ow upthrough the slip cone, packing means, and valve seat, a valve on themandrel adapted to seat l on the valve seat, slips on the slip cone, andslip shoulder at the base of the tapered thread, meansv providingyieldable ngers, the inner faces of which are threaded for threadedengagement with the tapered thread and the ends of which are engageablewith the shoulder, said yieldable nngers being connected to the slips.

- J. O. BRUMBLY.

